I would like to extend my sincerest ^preciation to Sally and Josh Dickinson for making 

 available to me the resources of Tropical Research & Development, Inc., to produce this dissertation. 

 By permitting access to their computers, printers, copiers, and fax machine, Sally and Josh greatly 

 reduced the stress associated with the technical aspects of producing a dissertation and greatly enhanced 

 the quality of the final document. 



To my wife and best friend, Amanda, I offer my deepest gratitude for her insight and patience 

 during these trying times. Her cheerfulness and ability to help out in periods of great stress were 

 essential to the completion of this study. I hope that in the future we both will be able to recall fondly 

 these times and appreciate better the experiences that we shared. 



VI 



